"Serious" desktop publishing is my term for those people who want to use their computer to best advantage in text and graphic design. "Serious" desktop publishing requires a certain amount of computer horsepower -- gadgets and hardware requirements above and beyond simple word processing.Let's start with the computer itself. A year ago, computer stores ballyhooed "640K RAM" as being "all the memory you need." Now many stores advertise a full megabyte of memory as a standard feature. If you want to desktop-publish as a professional, you will need more RAM -- at least 2MB, preferably 4MB. Desktop publishing programs hunger for memory, as do graphics.

Tech companies are always looking for a "killer app," a use that's so compelling it leads to huge sales of a gadget or program or service. A macabre description, but a reality in technology history. The big sales surge comes not from regular improvements in speed, capacity, and versatility, but when there's some great new thing that just couldn't be done before. An early killer app was the spreadsheet. That saved so much number-crunching time for businesspeople that they would buy a personal computer just for spreadsheeting.

With my review of the desktop publishing program Ventura Publisher last week, I'm reminded of a letter I received recently from a woman in Nutley, N.J. She asked for advice on a home desktop-publishing program. This brings up the topic of desktop publishing for beginners.To reiterate: Desktop publishing refers to page design and typographical control. Desktop publishing goes beyond word processing. It allows you to drop in graphics and change lettering. Newsweek, Time and other magazines arrange their pages for visual interest.

Optical mouse proves that two `eyes' are better than one After falling in love with optical mice earlier this year, I found myself noticing a serious problem. Sometimes my cursor would get stuck in the corner of my monitor screen - virtually disappering - then failing to move quickly enough as I frantically whipped the little rodent all over the desk. Logitech has found a solution to my troubles. The MouseMan Dual Optical ($50) has not one, but two "eyes" on the underside for better cursor maneuvering on your computer monitor.

Aldus Corp. of Seattle has introduced a greatly improved version of Pagemaker, its desktop publishing program for IBM PCs running the DOS-Windows 3.0 operating system.Like its Apple Macintosh counterpart, which was released earlier, Pagemaker 4.0 for Windows can meet the needs of a broad range of users, ranging from church newsletter secretaries to technical manual publishers.Pagemaker is widely credited, along with the Apple Macintosh, with creating the desktop publishing industry. Pagemaker first captured the imaginations of personal computer users years ago, allowing people much more control over a printed page than was possible with simple word processors.

By PETER H. LEWIS and PETER H. LEWIS,New York Times News Service | August 5, 1991

Many people invest thousands of dollars and countless hours to become proficient at desktop publishing. They use the best tools, including a personal computer, a laser or inkjet printer, a page layout program and, most important of all, their imaginations. And then they print their creations on boring white paper.Granted, remarkable things can be done with basic copier paper, and white laser printer stock is perfectly fine for most jobs.There are times, however, when a special laser-quality paper can make a big difference in the way a document is received.

PageMaker might have been king of the desktop publishing programs in the early days of home computing, but its reputation has suffered recently. First, QuarkXpress has become the industry leader for serious desktop publishing. Second, many small-business and home users have been able to meet their desktop publishing needs with Microsoft Publisher, which costs about $100. Nevertheless, Adobe (www. adobe.com) has released PageMaker 7.0 ($500), the sequel to 6.5 Plus, with new features in a familiar package.

For the last six years I've used the original Hewlett-Packard Laserjet as my printer. While it's been quite dependable, it missed the revolution in desktop publishing because it could print very few graphics and fonts.As I noted last week, I'm trying out a Canon LBP-8 Mark III laser printer that has 10 resident fonts and a megabyte and a half of memory. I can now more deeply explore desktop publishing.Desktop publishing allows control of type placement, typefaces (also known as fonts) and drawings (also known as graphics)

The best way to review a program is to put it to work on a real-world project. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible, because the project and product rarely show up at the same time.As luck would have it, I agreed to help create a 25th reunion yearbook for my college class about the same time that a copy of Microsoft Publisher arrived.Microsoft's desktop publishing program is aimed squarely at the home and small-business market, and I don't know if its authors had a 250-page book in mind when they designed it. But to my great delight (and relief)

By Bonita Formwalt and Bonita Formwalt,SPECIAL TO THE SUN | October 16, 1996

HUNDREDS OF classic autos will converge on the Glen Burnie Motor Vehicle Administration parking lot from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday when the Lost In the '50s Custom Car Club presents its fourth annual car show to benefit the Special Olympics.The show is one of the most successful in the area. Last year, more than 3,000 spectators viewed the 550 cars on display.Admission is free. Refreshments will be sold throughout the day. Alcohol and drugs are not permitted.Glen Burnie resident Don Breach, chairman of the event, has set a goal of $10,000 for the Special Olympics.

PageMaker might have been king of the desktop publishing programs in the early days of home computing, but its reputation has suffered recently. First, QuarkXpress has become the industry leader for serious desktop publishing. Second, many small-business and home users have been able to meet their desktop publishing needs with Microsoft Publisher, which costs about $100. Nevertheless, Adobe (www. adobe.com) has released PageMaker 7.0 ($500), the sequel to 6.5 Plus, with new features in a familiar package.

When I was writing headlines for my college newspaper back in the age of metal type, I frequently ran into a sticky problem. Our small-town printer had a limited selection of typefaces, and he set our headlines by hand, character-by-character, using metal slugs stored in dusty wooden cases. Over the years, some of the letters were lost or broken, but they were horrendously expensive to replace. Since business wasn't booming and we couldn't afford to pay him much in the first place, our printer figured we could make do with what he had. This wasn't a problem with Qs or Zs, but by the time my generation produced the paper, there were only three capital Rs left in our favorite headline font.

Sure, the computer age was supposed to bring us less paper, but no one counted on desktop publishing. Today, just about anyone with a PC and a $90 inkjet printer can produce visually stunning church newsletters, books, restaurant menus, business cards, fliers, personalized stationery, posters and gift certificates. To get your story out or to make a better birthday card than Hallmark, you have a choice of nifty programs - starting as low as $20 - that can work their magic with minimum horsepower from your computer.

WHEN it comes to designing newsletters, fliers, brochures and other documents, there are two kinds of people -- artists and folks like me.I'm among the graphically challenged, and the idea of creating anything more complicated than a business letter gives me the willies. On the other hand, I understand the importance of looking good in print.That's why I've always enjoyed Microsoft Publisher.It doesn't expect you to be a design genius. Microsoft hires the design gurus and invites you to steal shamelessly from their inventions.

By Bonita Formwalt and Bonita Formwalt,SPECIAL TO THE SUN | November 19, 1997

BEFORE YOU LOOK at this, you need to realize my teacher and I have reached an understanding," my oldest son said earnestly.Firmly disengaging the report card from his hand, I gasped at the grade -- a "D" in desktop publishing."It looks worse than it actually is because this semester I am doing so much better," he continued. "And a 'D' isn't failing, it's more of a wake-up call to my support people that I'm struggling."Actually it's more of a wake-up call to the people who do the hiring at the local gas-'n-go."

By Bonita Formwalt and Bonita Formwalt,SPECIAL TO THE SUN | October 16, 1996

HUNDREDS OF classic autos will converge on the Glen Burnie Motor Vehicle Administration parking lot from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday when the Lost In the '50s Custom Car Club presents its fourth annual car show to benefit the Special Olympics.The show is one of the most successful in the area. Last year, more than 3,000 spectators viewed the 550 cars on display.Admission is free. Refreshments will be sold throughout the day. Alcohol and drugs are not permitted.Glen Burnie resident Don Breach, chairman of the event, has set a goal of $10,000 for the Special Olympics.

Optical mouse proves that two `eyes' are better than one After falling in love with optical mice earlier this year, I found myself noticing a serious problem. Sometimes my cursor would get stuck in the corner of my monitor screen - virtually disappering - then failing to move quickly enough as I frantically whipped the little rodent all over the desk. Logitech has found a solution to my troubles. The MouseMan Dual Optical ($50) has not one, but two "eyes" on the underside for better cursor maneuvering on your computer monitor.

By Bonita Formwalt and Bonita Formwalt,SPECIAL TO THE SUN | November 19, 1997

BEFORE YOU LOOK at this, you need to realize my teacher and I have reached an understanding," my oldest son said earnestly.Firmly disengaging the report card from his hand, I gasped at the grade -- a "D" in desktop publishing."It looks worse than it actually is because this semester I am doing so much better," he continued. "And a 'D' isn't failing, it's more of a wake-up call to my support people that I'm struggling."Actually it's more of a wake-up call to the people who do the hiring at the local gas-'n-go."

The best way to review a program is to put it to work on a real-world project. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible, because the project and product rarely show up at the same time.As luck would have it, I agreed to help create a 25th reunion yearbook for my college class about the same time that a copy of Microsoft Publisher arrived.Microsoft's desktop publishing program is aimed squarely at the home and small-business market, and I don't know if its authors had a 250-page book in mind when they designed it. But to my great delight (and relief)

Stop the presses. Several new editions of desktop publishing software have appeared that make it easier to create impressive business documents.Pagemaker from the Aldus Corp. and Quark Xpress from Quark Inc., the two most popular desktop publishing programs for Macintosh and Windows computers, have added powerful features for graphics professionals.And for computer novices who have been drafted to produce the company softball team's newsletter, the Microsoft Corp.'s Publisher 2.0 for Windows is a solid hit.Desktop publishing programs are essentially electronic pasteboards that allow computer users to design, and redesign, pages complete with text, graphics, scanned photographs, headlines and other elements of a printed page.